Newborns of booster-vaccinated mothers have a lower risk of COVID-19 and better outcomes

An international study of COVID-19 in pregnancy, which included the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, found that newborns of mothers who had been vaccinated with a booster shot had a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to those of unvaccinated mothers. Babies of booster-vaccinated mothers also had the lowest rates of preterm birth, respiratory distress syndrome, and days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Newborns of unvaccinated mothers, however, died twice as often as those of vaccinated mothers. The study was conducted when Omicron was the variant of concern. The findings were published in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Our study demonstrates the clear benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 for pregnant women and their infants. As the protective effect of vaccination against COVID-19 wanes over time, to ensure that newborns are maximally protected from COVID-19, women should receive vaccine or a booster dose no more than 14 weeks before the expected date of delivery”.

Jagjit Teji, MD, co-author, neonatologist and principal investigator at Lurie Children’s, and Pediatrics Pediatric Health System at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

The study involved 40 hospitals in 18 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay and USA). Participants in the Lurie Children study were recruited from the Maternal, Neonatal, and Intermediate Care areas of Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital, where Lurie Children’s neonatologists provide coverage.

“Our study also showed that babies of diagnosed mothers did not have an increased risk of being infected by practices such as skin-to-skin contact and direct breastfeeding,” Dr Teji said. “Also, none of the newborns of vaccinated mothers had a congenital malformation. Overall, our findings should be reassuring to pregnant women who may be hesitant about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.”